Fishing With Plastic Worms

Fishing with plastic is a different type of fish from lures and using bait. Lure fishermen usually don’t like plastics because it is too slow for them.

I use mostly Senkos. Sometimes bass will hammer a plastic as soon as it hits the water. Many times the bass will just swim off without a noticeable bite. Many hits are on the fall on the plastic. For this type of bite, you watch your line for unusual movement. See the line move or stop suddenly, set your hook. Feel a snag, set your hook. I use yellow braid so I can see my line better.

I usually fish the Senko weightless. The Senko floats down slowly when weightless. Many hits happen when the Senko is dropping.

Fish your plastic slow, and slower. Once your plastic is on the bottom, let it sit for a couple on minutes, deadsticking. Lift you rod tip sightly and crank a couple of times, and let it sit some more.

I use small 3/8 oz - 1 oz sinkers when dropshoting in cover.

O ring is used to attach the hook to the Senko. Tube below is used to slide the O ring to the Senko.

I use Senkos for Largemouth and Smallmouth, but we sometimes catch stripers, trout, and salmon with the Senkos.

8/5/17 today the local tackle shop had all lures and plastics like Senkos 75% off. I have enough Senkos to last my life time. I did buy the Zoom Trick Worms. With a small 1/8 oz Extra Wide Gap the worm stands straight up and the worm starts waving and moving with the water. Very effective when used in rivers and moving water.

For a rod I like a medium 6 1/2’ - 7’ rod with extra fast tip, with a strong back bone. Strong backbone is needed for fishing cover. Spincast, spinning, or baitcaste reels all work for me.

9 Comments:

tholmes:
Great subject for a blog, Ron!Plastic worms have accounted for more bass, for me at least, than any other lure. My personal best largemouth (9lbs. 12 oz.) was caught on a purple Mann’s Jelly Worn way back in 1970, and I’ve been fishing them ever since. Texas rigged, Carolina rigged, wacky rigged, etc. they just plain catch bass! My current favorite is a 7.5" ribbon-tail worm. Favorite colors are (in no particular order) tequila sunrise, red shad, watermelon, green pumpkin and the good ol’ standby - black.I fish them with a medium-heavy rod and 12 - 15 lb. Trilene Big Game Solar line. A sensitive rod is essential for feeling the typical soft tap of a bass picking up a worm and hi-visibility line helps me see the strikes that I can’t feel. A rod with some "backbone" is needed to get a good hookset with the hook point buried in the worm.I always have a rod rigged with a plastic worm when I’m bass fishing!Tom

Ron:

Thanks Tom. We are very much the same when bass fishing. I also caught more bass on plastics than any other baits.

I use 10 lbs Hi Vis yellow braid so I can see the line better. Rods I use a 7’ medium action with extra fast tip. Extra fast tip rods have strong backbone. Colors I like Natural Shad, Baby Bass, Pumpkin, and Blue/Black pictured above.

Vale:
Good tips Ron :) What other fish, besides bass, would plastic worms be good for?

Ron:
I have caught stripers, trout, and salmon on Senkos.

Vale:
:)

Ron:
Vale, I lost the blog above 🤢

Vale:
It’s ok, I added the text from the forum post, but you’ll need to edit it again since I just copied it :)

Ron:
Thank you.

timmy:
nothing more exciting then throwing out a plastic worm and watching the water explode from a vicious bass strike. i have wanted try them senkos and intend do so the next opportunity i get. they certainly seem to be very effective.